出口专家 - Export Experts

　　虽然有许多相似之处，但是在环太平洋地区销售卫生洁具等管道产品还是与在美国国内销售有很大的不同。美国好施集团分享其在美国国外销售的经验和教训。
　　Despite many parallels, selling plumbing in the Pacific Rim is very different from its domestic counterpart. Hirsch Pipe shows how to master the art of overseas marketing.

美国好施集团丹•马利与他的儿子格瑞：
“并不是所有人都适合从事出口业务。
您需要具备真正企业家的天赋。”
Hirsch Pipe & Supply's Dan Mariscal
(right) with his son Greg: "Export is not
for everyone. You have to be a true
entrepreneurial talent."

　　1989年，当美国好施集团董事长丹尼•马利到中国北京度假，他在宾馆房间的洗脸盆洗手时注意到水龙头是由美国芝加哥水龙头公司制造的。而美国好施集团作为总部位于洛杉矶的管道产品批发公司，一直是美国芝加哥水龙头公司的美国地区最大的经销商。所以马利自然想到，"嗨，为什么不到这个市场试试？"
　　Vacationing in Beijing, China, in 1989, Dan Mariscal was washing his hands in the hotel room sink when he noticed that the fitting was made by The Chicago Faucet Co. His Los Angeles plumbing-wholesale firm, Hirsch Pipe & Supply Co., was and still is the largest distributor for Chicago Faucet in the United States. So Mariscal naturally wondered, "Hey, why not go after this market too?"

　　马利的儿子，格瑞•马利，1980年代从美国加州洛杉矶分校获得心理学和工商管理学位后，在日本居住了几年时间。尤其在儿子刚刚开始工作时，父子俩的性格和思维方式有很大的不同。但是，在日本生活期间，感受到日本建筑市场的迅速发展，儿子自然也认识到日本也大量需要管道产品，格瑞也产生了和他父亲一样的想法。1990年年底，格瑞加入了美国好施集团，成为集团内一名全职员工，全神贯注在开拓国外市场，包括环太平洋地区的周边国家。
　　Mariscal's son, Greg Mariscal, spent several years during the late 1980s living in Japan after obtaining a degree in psychology and business administration from UCLA. Fathers and sons are seldom like-minded, especially when the younger man is just starting out. But living amid Japan's booming construction market and recognizing the consequent need for plumbing products, Greg arrived at the same why-not question as his father. Joining Hirsch Pipe full-time in late 1990, he spearheaded the firm's efforts to expand its market beyond U.S. borders to include the countries of the Pacific Rim.

　　美国好施集团董事长认为，在开始开拓国外市场的前四年，在出口业务方面，美国好施集团相对来说还只是个新手。"在我们库存的80多个大类产品系列里，"丹尼•马利说，"只有25个大类的产品用于开拓国外市场，出口销售额占全公司的销售额还不足10%."但是，这不起眼的销售额，在美国好施集团的长期市场规划中代表着重要的增长点。
　　Four years into the business, Hirsch is still relatively new to exporting, its president admits. "Of the more than 80 active line we stock," says Dan Mariscal, "we've developed overseas markets for just 25, accounting for less than 10% of our annual volume." But that modest share, nonetheless, represents a significant and growing factor in Hirsch's long-term marketing plans.

英语是环太平洋地区的商务语言，但是美国好施
集团采用买方更容易理解的语言介绍自己。
English is the Language of business in the
Pacific Rim, but this Hirsch brochure
introduces the company in a language
the buyer can more readily understand.

　　到现在，美国好施集团管理层从出口市场中学到了些什么？第一，成功并非轻而易举。老马利在一个有利可图的国家致力于开拓市场超过五年时间，才开始有所盈利。可以预计的是，在国外设立分公司成本比在美国国内还高的多。这些多出的成本不仅包括频繁的交通费用，还包括发展国外新用户，了解并遵守不熟悉的外国管理规则，更重要的是，了解外国的语言和文化所需要花费的成本。
　　What has Hirsch management learned so far about the export market? For one, success is not an overnight affair. The elder Mariscal pegs the task of developing a profitable venture within a foreign country at upwards of five years. Predictably, a foreign start-up is also more expensive than its domestic parallel. These extra costs include not only frequent transoceanic travel, but also the expense of developing foreign contacts, conforming to unfamiliar governmental regulations and, most important of all, mastering a new language and culture.

　　虽然美国好施集团可能并不太符合我们标题中的称谓，但是马利父子最近仍然乐于与本文作者列举一些错综复杂的出口业务中的一些细节。即使是些无关紧要的细节，但是对于想要开拓国外市场的批发商来说，在进入国外市场之前，最好还是对出口业务可能遇到的问题有一些清楚的了解。
　　Though they might wince at our headline, The Mariscals were glad to sit down with this writer recently to enumerate some of the ins and outs of what can be a very tricky business. If nothing else, an aspiring wholesaler-turned-exporter must clearly understand what he's getting into before plunging into foreign waters.

开拓国外业务所应遵循的原则
Guidelines To Overseas Success

　　• 建立个人感情联系：无论在任何地方，开拓任何市场的第一步是寻找和培养用户。人们通常倾向于和朋友做生意，这个原则在美国适用，在亚洲也适用。当然，出口业务使得这个原则实行遇到了一个重要的障碍，格瑞说："语言障碍是一个所要面对的挑战。"
　　• Build personal relationships: The first step to opening any market anywhere is to find and cultivate customers. People generally prefer doing business with friends, an axiom that applies just as well to Asia as it does to this country. Of course, exporting brings one major twist on this rule, says Greg: "Language barriers are an ongoing challenge."

　　英语也许是环太平洋地区商业贸易通用的语言。但是外国人如果能够说一些当地的方言，哪怕只会说一点点 -- 对于改善合作双方的关系有一定的帮助，那样会使得买方在与外国人做生意时能够感到舒适一些。
　　English may be the language of business and trade throughout the Pacific Rim. But the foreigner's ability to speak the native tongue - even a little - will help warm relations, making the buyer more comfortable about doing business with an outsider.

　　但是，即使个人关系非常重要，也不要指望到国外市场能够逃避国内的残酷的价格战。"正如美国一样，对于大订单，价格仍然是至关重要的，"丹尼补充道，这意味着必须把成本控制在最低水平。同时，对于小订单，国外用户"往往也希望花很小的代价获取额外的服务。" -- 这一点，也和在美国一样。
　　But while personal relations are important, don't expect to go overseas to escape the domestic price war. "As in the United States, price is king on the larger orders," says Dan, who adds that this means keeping costs to a minimum. Meanwhile, on smaller orders, the overseas customer "is usually willing to spend a little bit more for extra convenience" - again, just like in this country.

　　那么作为美国批发商如何在国外做生意呢？马利父子认为，每个国家都有自己的潜在用户名录，要获取这些期望的寻价，需要应用广告、信函、产品目录、传真、口碑等各种广告形式。
　　How does an American wholesaler get the word out that he wants to do business in a foreign land? According to the Mariscals, each nation has its own trade directory containing the names of potential customers. To reach these prospects and generate inquiries, various types of advertising, direct mail, catalogs, fax promotions and good old word of mouth must come into play.
　　"我们尽可能以已最快速度回复每个询价，"丹尼说，在维持与遥远的外国密切的通信方面，美国好施集团的传真机扮演着非常重要的角色。此外，传真还提供比电话还要有价值、更准确的书面纪录 -- 至少对于那些懂得英语的用户是这样的。
　　"We try to answer every inquiry as soon as possible," says Dan, who adds that Hirsch's fax machine plays a crucial role in maintaining close communications with distant lands. The fax also provides a valuable written record that is more accurate than a voice response over the telephone - at least for those who understand English.
　　但是与面对面交谈相比，上述各种销售工具所能够起的作用还是比较次要的，特别是建立商业关系的初始阶段更是如此。格瑞说，"大多数买方都比较喜欢正式的、亲自上门拜访。" 
　　这种方式不可避免的需要花费大量的时间和金钱，这就是为什么开拓国外市场的新手需要极大的耐心去开拓市场。"通常情况下要开始盈利，需要三到五年的时间，"丹尼提醒道。
　　This approach inevitably demands a great deal of time and money, which is why a newcomer will need plenty of patience to develop a strong presence in whatever country he chooses to penetrate. " It typically takes three to five years to turn a profit," warns Dan.

　　• 要小心的不同的政治体制：在选择所要的开拓的国外市场，需要事先搞清楚：这个国家与美国的关系如何？对于国外公司来说答案似乎有比较浓厚的学术色彩，格瑞说，"人们必须研究和处理所要开拓的国外市场的政治体制，"因为这些体制对于国外业务是否能够成功至关重要。
　　• Beware of the political realities: Before targeting a foreign country for export sales, you must ask: What is the state of the relationship between that nation and the United States? The answer to that question is more than academic for the overseas marketer, says Greg. "You must deal with the political realities of whatever country you're exporting into," because those realities will have a direct bearing on the success of your enterprise.

　　幸运的是，在亚洲做生意比较简单，而在中东，情况就复杂很多。"环太平洋地区的官员们只是检查检查我的美国护照，"格瑞说，"他们并不关心我在来他们的国家之前究竟去过那些国家。"
　　Fortunately, touring Asia doesn't pose the same complexities as traveling in the more troubled Middle East. "Pacific Rim officials just check my U.S. passport," says Greg. "They're not concerned about which countries I previously visited before I came to theirs."

　　但是，亚洲国家对于外国游客也有一些规定，特别是在其国家的逗留时间。了解这些规定，将有助于美国商人事先做好计划，将有限的时间集中在有关业务上。
　　Nonetheless, Asian nations do have regulations for foreign visitors, particularly with regard to length of stay. Knowledge of these regulations will help an American businessman focus his limited time on taking care of business before all else.
　　• 要注意政府的有关规定：当然，在任何国家，不仅仅是环太平洋地区国家，政府的规定和红头文件都会成为商业人士争论的焦点。但是对于希望开拓国外市场的公司来说，有时这些规定和红头文件可能成为他们的噩梦 -- 甚至是他们打道回府，在也不敢到这个国家做生意。
　　• Beware of government regulations: Of course, government regulations and red tape can be a big-time hassle for businessmen in any country, not just the Pacific Rim. But for an outsider looking to get in, they can be a nightmare - enough to send him packing, never to return again.
 　　马利父子说他们在我们自己的政府方面倒没有遇到许可证的问题。"我们的出口业务主要限于根据经销商、贸易公司和其他有国外业务关系的美国公司的订单备货和运货。我们并没有在国外或施工现场设立库存。" 
　　The Mariscals report they've had no licensing problems with our own government. "We keep our exporting business simple by shipping strictly on demand to distributors, trading companies and other U.S. firms with established overseas leads. No inventory is built here or there, and no job site is developed."

　　但是，大洋彼岸远方的有关规则却是另一种情况。不久前，美国好施集团运送15套按摩浴缸到韩国，就遇到了较大的海关难题。韩国政府为了缩小与美国和其他国家的贸易逆差，颁布规定限制"豪华"产品。结果这些按摩浴缸被扣留在韩国海关长达一个多月，后来美国商务部帮美国好施集团向韩国海关交涉，才解决了这个问题。结果这家公司的15套按摩浴缸遭遇到韩国的贸易政策。
　　But regulations on the far side of the water are another story. Not long ago, Hirsch encountered a major customs hassle when it attempted to ship 15 whirlpool tubs into South Korea. The government there had instituted a crackdown against "luxury" items in an effort to narrow Korea's trade deficit with the United States and other countries. The items were hung up in Korean customs for well over a month until the U.S. Department of Commerce intervened on behalf of Hirsch. Thus did the firm's 15 tubs become entangled in Korean trade policy.

　　虽然他的商品最后被释放，格瑞认识到"出口往往需要获得目的地海关官员的怜悯，这些海关官员能够自己决定特殊商品是否允许进入他的国家。好像每次进口都是个案处理，并没有什么通用的规则可以遵循。"
　　Though his merchandise was finally liberated, Greg knows that "an exporter is forever at the mercy of the customs official. He can personally decide whether a particular item should be permitted into his country. Everyting seems to be a case-by-case situation with no general rules to follow."

美国好施集团国际部经理格瑞•马利和
中国代表处业务代表张建国在仓库里
Greg, Director of Hirsch International, and
Hammer Zhang, Representative of Hirsch
China Office in a warehouse

• 注意了解不同的文化：了解不同的文化远比了解如何用当地方言说您好、再见和卫生间在哪里还要重要。每个国家，包括我们自己的国家，都有自身独特的、长期形成的习惯。这些文化可能看起来有点奇怪、琐碎，甚至有点滑稽可笑。但是忽视这些文化，无论是有益的还是无意的，都可能导致非常难堪的局面并丢掉生意。
　　• Beware of cultural differences: Cultural awareness goes well beyond knowing how to say hello, goodbye, and where's the bathroom in the mother tongue. Every country, including ours, has its special time-honored customs. They may seem peculiar, trivial, even downright humorous. But ignoring them - willfully or innocently - can result in deep embarrassment and lost business.

　　丹尼回忆说，又一个美籍华裔到中国大陆签署商业协议。为了推销他们公司的产品，他带了一些绿色的和黄色的棒球帽作为广告小礼品。中国人非常喜欢棒球帽，但是棒球帽的颜色却成为一个巨大的问题。"在中国，一个人头上戴着绿帽子，意味着他的妻子对他不忠，有外遇，"丹尼解释说。
　　Dan recalls an American of Chinese ancestry who visited mainland China to consummate a business agreement. To promote his line, he brought along a number of green and yellow baseball caps as giveaways. The Chinese have no objetion to baseball caps, but the color was a problem - a big problem." A green cap is worn by a person whose wife has not been faithful," Dan explains.

　　所以中国人并不喜欢绿色的棒球帽。这位美籍华裔认识到自己的错误后，连忙取出其它颜色的棒球帽，最后除了绿色的棒球帽以外，其它颜色的棒球帽都作为礼品送了出去。
　　So the Chinese were not at all amused. Realizing his error, the businessman fetched new caps of a different color, and his gifts were readily accepted.

　　在日本，鞠躬是一种欢迎的礼节，表示尊敬，但是鞠躬过程中一声不吭。了解什么时候鞠躬，鞠躬鞠得多低，因此变得很重要。鞠躬的程度必须小心的与您的主人的年龄、社会地位和工作职称相称。
　　In Japan, bowing is a form of greeting as well as an expression of respect, all without having to utter a single word. Knowing when and how low to bow is therefore critical. The extent of the bow must be carefully calibrated to reflect the age, social rank and job title of your host.

　　简而言之，有时业务关系好坏会与这些细微、琐碎的小事有很大关系。有多少次遇到您的新的业务伙伴时才发现名片发完了？或者让您的业务伙伴在酒店房间内空等？在这种情况下，您是否及时道歉？在这个国家，这类道歉是例行公事的，并很容易被接受。道歉后，一般就没有问题了。
　　In short, the fate of a business relationship can hinge on such seemingly minor details. How often, at the close of a convention, have you apologized to a new acquaintance that you've run short of business cards? Or that you've left them in your hotel room? In this country, such apologies are routinely and quickly accepted, no questions asked, right?
　　并不是整个环太平洋区国家都是这样。一个亚洲人可以没有驾驶证，可以把信用卡忘在梳妆台上，但是，他绝不会把名片忘在家里。"名片就意味着身份，"格瑞解释说，"在任何时间里，您口袋里都的有一张名片。"
　　Not in the Pacific Rim. An Asian may not have a driver's license; he may leave his American Express card on his dresser. But he never leaves home without his business cards. "The business card is your identity," Greg explains. "You must have one at all times."
　　拥有名片是必要的，但还不够。你的名片放在什么地方也非常重要。要把名片放在靠近心脏的口袋内，绝不要放在钱包里或裤后袋里。格瑞提醒说，这些解剖学方面的细节并非不重要的小事。"它告诉你的客户你是多么的重视他。"
　　Possession is half the battle, but not all. Where you carry your cards is also critical. Keep them in the side pocket of your suit jacket next to your heart, but never in your wallet if you carry the latter in your rear pants pocket. This attention to anatomical detail is no small matter, cautions Greg. "It tells a customer what you think of him." 

　　• 注意职务的重要性：不仅名片上有关你的专业身份是重要的，而且名片上的职务也是很重要的。在有些环太平洋地区的国家，生意额的大小往往与洽谈生意的人的职务大小有关，有时甚至是绝对相关。例如，一个总经理可能会坚持只和对方的总经理洽谈，而不会与出口部经理或"仅仅是"销售代表洽谈。这样的事却是发生在美国好施集团的国外销售代表身上，他当时正希望与一位有前景的客户的总经理洽谈。为了解决这样的问题，"我们最好还是把他'提升为'总经理，"丹尼说。
　　• Beware of the importance of job titles: If business cards are critical as a statement of your professional identity, so therefore are the job titles listed on them. In some Pacific Rim nations, dealing with business equals - as determined by title - is an absolute must. A general manager may insist upon dealing solely with another general manager, for example, and not an export manager or a "mere" sales representative. That's exactly what happened to a Hirsch overseas sales rep when he tried to gain access to the general manager of a particular prospect. To resolve the issue and conclude the sale, "We had to 'promote' him to general manager as well," says Dan.

　　根据丹尼的说法，如果你手中的名片并不能显示恰当的职务，就可能会失去业务，"或许你的洽谈会被终止，或许你无法见到能做出决定的人。"
　　If your business card does not show the right title for the situation at hand, you could lose a sale, according to Dan, "either because you end up talking to the wrong people or can't see the right ones."

　　• 控制运费成本：正如前面所述，出口市场的竞争程度丝毫并不亚于美国国内。这就要求必须非常重视成本控制，特别是运费成本控制。"坦率的说，一个人飞跃太平洋的机票费比一个浴缸得空运费要便宜的多，"丹尼说。

    　　• Control your freight costs: As already noted, export markets can be every bit as competitive as their American counterparts. That puts a premium on cost control, especially shipping expenses. "Frankly, a person can fly across the Pacific almost as cheaply as a bathtub can," says Dan.
　　丹尼解释道，表面看来，货物空运费只有飞机票的20%，但是货物的运输有时需要三个星期才会到达目的地，而乘客只要几个小时就会到达，价格的差异可能造成额外的时间浪费。这种差异促使像美国好施集团这样的出口公司经常提醒他们的国外客户，最好预测需求以便避免昂贵的紧急订单。

　　Surface freight rates are about 20% of air rates, according to Mariscal. While this means an order will take nearly three weeks to arrive, as opposed to a few hours, the price differential may make the extra wait worthwhile. This differential also spurs an exporter like Hirsch to teach its overseas customers to better anticipate needs and avoid expensive emergency orders.
　　但是紧急订单还是不断出现。又一次，美国好施集团接到一个紧急订单，空运出口浴缸到国外的客户那里。"空运费相当于浴缸价格的四倍，"丹尼说。幸运的是，这位客户愿意承担如此昂贵的空运费。但是，如果是美国好施集团出的差错，造成需要紧急空运，美国好施集团就只好承担那么这样高昂的运费了。

　　But emergencies do occur. On one occasion, Hirsch air-freighted a tub to an export customer with an immediate need. "That easily quadrupled the price of the fixture," says Dan. Fortunately, the customer was willing to absorb the extra expense in this instance. But when the error is Hirsch's fault, the company has no choice but to pay the freight.

　　• 注意你的货款：有时从隔壁城镇甚至街对面的客户那里讨回货款都是一件在艰难不过的事情，你又怎么能够确定从太平洋对岸的客户那里要到货款？
　　• Control your credit: It's tough enough sometimes collecting your money from the customer across town or even across the street. How do you make sure you get your money from someone across the ocean?
　　为了安全收回货款，美国好施集团采用多种方法，并且注意有关公司的信誉账号纪录。"每一项业务都必须个案处理，"格瑞说，"幸运的时，我们在此所遇到的问题还不是很严重。"
　　Hirsch uses various approaches to credit, depending on the account and its track record with the firm. "It's a case-by-case situation." says Greg. "Fortunately, the problems we've had have not been major."
　　对于新客户，美国好施集团通常要求某种形式的100%的预付保证金。这种保守的付款方式听起来很谨慎，但是经常是的美国好施集团处于一种比较不利的竞争地位。"我们所面对的是国际市场，"格瑞强调道，"我们不仅要与其它美国公司竞争，还要与其它国家的公司竞争。例如，欧洲通常可以接受120天远期信用证，有时客户要求就是这么长的远期信用证。"格瑞还提到，欧洲公司对于未知的或具有很大危险的信用证仍然敢于接受延长信用证的付款期，因为欧洲公司的收入能够得到政府的保障。
　　With the first-time customer, Hirsch will ask for some type of deposit - up to 100% - in advance of shipment. This conservative stance sounds prudent, but it often puts the seller at a distinct competitive disadvantage. "It's a global market," Greg remarks. "We're not competing just with other Americans. For example, the European standard is 120-day terms, and customers will ask for that." He also notes that European companies may feel more comfortable extending credit to an unknown or poor credit risk because of government programs that guarantee their receivables.

　　由于缺乏安全保障，美国好施集团仅仅对具有良好信誉、历史纪录也非常良好的公司提供托收付款，对于大额订单或工程项目，美国好施集团通常会要求客户开立信用证以保证货款安全。
　　Lacking that security, Hirsch puts only well-established accounts with good credit histories on open order. However, for larger orders or projects, Hirsch may still ask such a customer for a letter of credit to guarantee the payment.
　　为什么不对所有订单都采用信用证？第一，信用证的费用太高昂，会极大降低出口商的利润额。各种银行费用可能高达订单额的2%。此外，"信用证与购买方的信誉额和订单额由一定的关系，"格瑞说道，"因此，对于小额订单，信用证没有任何意义。"
　　Why not use letters of credit all the time? For one, they are not without a cost to the seller and thus cut into his profit margin. Various banking fees may run as high as 2% of the transaction. In addition, "LCs also tie up the buyer's line of credit by the amount of the order," Greg comments. "Thus, for smaller orders, LCs are a nuisance."
　　尽管这样，马利父子仍然经常使用信用证，主要是由于他们的订单越来越大。"如果我们对我们的客户有足够的信任，我们很乐意采用托收付款的方式发送大宗货物，"格瑞说，"但是，你必须对客户有足够的了解，毕竟我们是在充满危险的地区做生意。"
　　Still, the Mariscals are using them more often these days, thanks to the happy fact that their orders are getting bigger and bigger." "I don't feel comfortable shipping large orders on open account unless I have complete trust in my customer," says Greg. "You've got to know your customers very well, because you are treading dangerous waters." 

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